IN so many ways, from the high-powered computers at each AM’s desk to the swish information screens which line its public gallery, the National Assembly is a futuristic institute.

The silver lifts gleam, the transparency is impressive and its use of the internet looked on from elsewhere with envy.

So a system in which, in a time of rolling 24-hour news, a minister is given several weeks to formulate a speech in response to a critical report seems more redolent of the days of travelling by horse and carriage and waiting months for news from the colonies. Yet that’s what happened today.

Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams took the obvious line of attack – today’s Estyn report showing four in 10 pupils in Wales have reading skills below their age. This was “not as good as it should be,” she said, with a healthy dollop of understatement.

“The Education Minister will be making a speech in the next few weeks outlining his views,” said Mr Jones.

There’s something almost beautiful in its old-fashionedness in this. It’s like the days when interviewers doffed caps to politicians and asked if they might kindly detail their recent visit to a summit.

Ms Williams, however, saw less beauty in the response and demanded something sooner.

“With the greatest of respect, First Minister, a keynote speech from the Education Minister at some point in the future is not a credible response,” she said.

So he did give a response – to, er, something completely different. “I’m not taking any lectures from a party that sold out everything it believes in when it comes to education,” he said, referring to student tuition fees in England.

“As I’ve said to you before, Carwyn, if you’re so concerned about the policies being pursued in Westminster you’ve missed your chance,” noted Ms Williams. “You should have stood in the election last May.”

Still, she did get something out of him. “It’s useful for us to have the Estyn report because it shows us 70% of schools are performing well and 30% are not. It isn’t the case that the entire system in Wales is a basket case as Peter [Black] described it last week,” said the First Minister. Quite. Only a third are failing! Huzzah!

Conservative leader Nick Bourne once again went in on the cuts he said the Assembly Government was planning on making to the NHS’ budget – £1bn or £1.4bn, depending on when he was asking. Mr Jones fumed about the Tories not having an alternative budget and accused Mr Bourne of “slipping up” on Wales Today and saying he planned to cut the education budget by 25 %, something Mr Bourne denied.

“In terms of what he said on Wales Today, we’ve got Powerpoint in here,” warned Mr Jones. “We could put it up on the wall if he wants.”

Elsewhere, the Conservative Boys Club continued its admirable record of being ticked off by the Presiding Officer every week for making a din, yelling all over Mr Jones’ response to Darren Millar’s question on NHS funding.

“Order,” barked Lord Elis-Thomas. “For the next five minutes I will not call anybody from the Conservatives except for the leader” unless they shut up, he warned.

“Well, we’d all welcome that,” chipped in Alun Davies (Labour, Mid and West Wales). “It includes you, by the way,” warned Lord Elis-Thomas.

David Melding (Conservative, South Wales Central) appeared to have already decided Mr Jones was still going to be First Minister after May’s election, asking what the Assembly Government’s economic priorities were going to be for the next 12 months.

“I apologise to the Welsh electorate for extending your term in the Bay,” he said, realising his error. “It will be up to them.”

But at least he was paying some sort of attention. Veronica German (Liberal Democrat, South Wales East), stood up to asked a tabled question, only to launch straight into the supplementary without asking the question first.

“Sorry!,” she cried. “Sorry! Sorry! You caught me asleep.” Admirable honesty. And perhaps understandable in an institution where things can run so slooooooowly you can wait weeks for a response.